UV joins Manila tilt

THE University of the Visayas Green Lancers are all set to join the 2014 FilOil Flying V Premier Cup on April 24 in San Juan Arena.

Lancers team manager and Cebu First District Representative Gerald Anthony “Sam-Sam” Gullas Jr. confirmed the Green Lancers’ entry in the pre-season tournament, which will also have two other Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) school teams in yesterday’s press briefing at the school’s office of the president.

UV’s trip to the biggest pre-season event nationwide is backstopped by Mario Bantillan and Verginia Allones of the Tagum City-based CM Farm.

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“We will be competing in the FilOil pre-season tournament. We cannot let this opportunity to play against Manila teams from the top Manila leagues pass. It is our aim that we can grow as a team and through the FilOil tournament, we can get the experience that we can use in our ambition to win championships,” Gullas said.

CM Farm also backed the Green Lancers’ quest to win the National Prisaa Basketball title on April 6-12 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

For this year, FilOil has revised its format to allow Cebuano basketball fans a chance to witness the competition.

Cebu stint

“We will play in Manila for one week and then here in Cebu for another week. They did this because the organizers wanted the teams to save on expenses,” said Gullas.

UV, Southwesten University Cobras and the University of San Carlos are in one bracket along with UAAP champions De La Salle University Green Archers, FilOil defending champions University of the East Red Warriors of the UAAP and Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers and Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals of the NCAA.

UV will fly to Manila on April 25 for its game against USC, Mapua and JRU then fly back to Cebu to play against the Cobras, UE and the Green Archers.

If they could land in the top two, they will advance to the quarterfinal round in Manila.

Meanwhile, Lancers head coach Felix “Donbel” Belano Jr. is not alarmed with the sub-par performance of his boys in the previous tune-up tournaments.

“I am not concerned with our losaes. My concern is the team itself. To make the team win games and become the no.1 team in the country. We learn from our mistakes, from those losses. And those mistakes will help us win games that matters most. Our target is to win the PCCL and it has been our goal since I became the head coach of the Green Lancers,” Belano said.

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